5 September 2012

By Hemanth Kissoon

There’s a new sheriff in town. Sandra Hebron’s artistic stewardship came to an end last year amidst much fanfare. Stepping down for greener pastures left many wondering who would fill those boots. Enter Claire Stewart, who also has the mantle of ‘BFI Head of Exhibition’ as well as ‘Festival Director, BFI London Film Festival’. As popular as Ms Hebron is, a shake-up is also welcome. And while the actual selection of some of the cream of world cinema is as expected, the way they are presented to us for consumption has been altered. Instead of national delineation, and buzz worthiness (for the previous titled ‘Film on the Square’ screenings), the plethora of titles is now in mostly new strands:
- Love
- Debate
- Dare
- Laugh
- Thrill
- Cult
- Journey
- Sonic

The other major change is a truncated schedule (four days shorter). Though there are more feature films, 225 in total. So more to see in less time. I’m not sure about the logic behind that. Perhaps it means more people can attend, as there are a greater number of clashes? Fairer distribution of silver screen wealth prevails over the cinematically avaricious. The opportunity to absorb some of the most talked about films ready to air in 2012 will involve even greater military-style planning!

After inspecting the nicely chunky brochure, here are my thoughts…

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

FRANCINE

Let’s look at the films I have already seen. [redacted] and [redacted] are embargoed from me talking about. One of which I’d definitely recommend. For those I can discuss, the following range from those I’d suggest seeing, to perhaps ones you should think twice about…

RECOMMEND

AUJUORD’HUI (TODAY)
The most imaginative and narratively daring of the Berlinale 2012 competition strand, it should have won the screenplay award. The first five minutes has a terrific build-up, as the lead, Satché (Saul Williams) is apparently chosen to die – is it a ritual sacrifice? Is he dying anyway? Is he being punished or rewarded? Answers are never clearly provided, as we witness how this Senegalese man spends his last day. TODAY is not a pessimistic portrayal of Africa. While death hangs over, the tone is one of a celebration of the vibrancy of Satché’s culture. We meet the most important people in his life, from his best friend Sele, to his lover, and family. There is one particular sequence where his uncle pretends to wash his prostrate form, showing Satché what will happen to his body – it is calming and unusually moving.
Proceedings are surreal, and sometimes have a conscious theatrical artificiality – like the performers are projecting to the back row. The enigmatic denouement compounds the dream-like sense that intersperses the bursts of energy. Superbly paced.

SISTER – My review is here.

FRANCINE – My review is here.

JUST THE WIND
The best film in Competition at the Berlin Film Festival 2012. At least it won the Silver Bear. Based on acts of violence that occurred in Hungary over 2008/9, where Romany people were murdered. JUST THE WIND is expertly made. There is an all-pervasive tension that reminds me of AFTERSCHOOL. The menace is palpable as we watch a family and their mistreatment by the local community. There is an out though for their situation, as the mother, Birdy, is saving to take her two children and father to join her husband in Canada. They are extremely poor. Her father is incapacitated, and she has two cleaning jobs. And owes a lot of money. Plus five families have been killed. There is hardly any dialogue, but you care about what happens to the leads. JUST THE WIND is an oppressive commentary on racism and poverty. It is summer, and the film is full of sunshine, yet claustrophobic and the threat of imminent violence is ever-present. A must-see.

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
"I can count the number of times I've been carried on two fingers." Poetic, magnetic, and wildly bizarre.

SIGHTSEERS
Three for three from Mr Wheatley. A hilarious, and very British, serial killer comedy. Makes me want to visit the pencil museum.

Full reviews for these two coming soon.

RECOMMEND WITH RESERVATION

LAURENCE ANYWAYS
Xavier Dolan’s next after HEARTBEATS is an even more stylish relationship drama, and equally more unbelievable, with an added unnecessary hour. Does it really require 159 minutes to tell this story? A man wants to become a woman while maintaining the status quo, in particular with his girlfriend. Killer soundtrack.

RUST AND BONE
Gifted crime chronicler Jacques Audiard (THE BEAT THAT MY HEART SKIPPED, READ MY LIPS, A PROPHET) teaming with one of the most mesmerising actresses working today, Marion Cotillard, should’ve knocked this out of the park. A woman is disabled after a spectacular accident and begins a tentative romance with a bare-knuckle boxer. Story shifts feel clumsy, but still very watchable.

Full reviews for these two coming soon.

NOT A FAN OF

CAESAR MUST DIE – My review is here.

CAPTIVE
Ahh, Isabelle Huppert. She gives me a warm feeling. Not that kind you sickos. (Well maybe a little of that kind.) Her addition to a film is a strange alchemy that adds class, mystery and charisma to a story almost instantaneously her presence is felt. However, Huppert is very much wasted here; spending too much time screaming like Kate Capshaw in INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM. A possibility perhaps of comedy gold you might be thinking, but this is a very serious and tragic tale of kidnapping in the Philippines, which commenced in May 2001. Based on a true story this is a harrowing film, where tourists, missionaries and medical staff are taken prisoner in order to obtain a ransom. We see it from these victims’ perspectives. The ordeal is well conveyed, however CAPTIVE outstays its welcome by being repetitive, and running out of ideas. Huppert’s gravitas saves this from being unwatchable. Not her best performance, though the script she appears to have been working with is to blame I surmise.

FRANKENWEENIE

THE BODY

WHAT I’M MOST EXCITED ABOUT

There’s a lot to choose from. I have distilled the 200+ offerings down to what is most getting my cinematic juices flowing:

10. EASY MONEY and EASY MONEY II
The last two LFFs have shown big projects: DREILEBEN (my review here) is a trilogy from the previous year, while CARLOS in 2010 was nearly six hours long and never dull.
An underworld thriller and its sequel set in Sweden could be a satisfying 216 minutes.

9. THE BODY
Detective-horror-noir mash-up from the writer of JULIA’S EYES has me most definitely intrigued.

8. FRANKENWEENIE
Kicking off the Festival is Tim Burton’s latest. He misfired with DARK SHADOWS, but this stop-motion animation looks like a corker. I was fortunate to visit the set, and am expecting something highly entertaining.

7. LE GRAND SOIR
They brought us the nuttily hilarious LOUISE-MICHEL and MAMMUTH, can writer-directors Benoît Delépine and Gustave Kervern strike three times?

6. BLACK ROCK
Written by Mark Duplass. Mumblecore goes knife-edge. The Festival has a knack for picking quality in this subgenre.

5. MEA MAXIMA CULPA: SILENCE IN THE HOUSE OF GOD
One of best documentarians in the world, Alex Gibney (TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE, ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM), delivers his latest. His name alone means must-watch.

4. AMOUR
Consistently excellent, Michael Haneke surely has earned his place in the directing hall of fame. Even if he filmed a brick wall for 90 minutes, I’d be there (at least to see how he did it). Don’t worry, this relationship drama doesn’t sound as if it will be anything less than compelling.

3. SIMON KILLER
Antonio Campos wowed with his deeply disturbing debut, AFTERSCHOOL. A sophomore project involving a sociopath could cement his status as an intelligent provocateur.

2. SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS
Playwright turned nifty writer-director, Martin McDonagh spat out the hilarious and pretty flawless IN BRUGES. I’ve been waiting for his follow-up ever since. Along for the ride is Colin Farrell again. And joining him is, get this: Sam Rockwell, Christopher Walken, Woody Harrelson, Abbie Cornish and Tom Waits. Who gives a sh*t what it’s about?

1. DOOMSDAY BOOK
He’s one of the best action directors on the planet, and Kim Jee-woon teams up with Arnie in a few months. While we wait for THE LAST STAND, his English language debut, his co-helm project will have to keep us sated. A short film triptych that according to the brochure contains, “tales of a zombie-like outbreak, the existential plight of a Buddhist robot, and a meteor hurtling its way to Earth”. Enough said! The programmers had me at “zombie-like outbreak”.


Of course one of the most enjoyable/excruciating events is the Surprise Film. Constant presuming and calculating by attendees about what the movie might be are part of the joy. Speculations are based on what was a potential contender for a gala premiere, plus America release dates and festival screenings. For the last 10 years it has always been an English language pic, and if it’s from the US, it has screened there first. The most popular recent choices were THE WRESTLER (Mickey Rourke and Darren Aronofsky attended) and NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. With that in mind what might it be…

SURPRISE FILM POTENTIALS

Awards Contenders

GRAVITY
LES MISERABLES
LIFE OF PI
LINCOLN
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
THE GRANDMASTERS
THE MASTER
TO THE WONDER

TO THE WONDER, THE MASTER and LIFE OF PI are getting screenings at either Toronto or Venice or both, but none of the others will have their premiere before the 20th October. Pie in the sky I’m afraid.

Blockbusters

CLOUD ATLAS
DJANGO UNCHAINED
SKYFALL
THE HOBBIT

Producers/studios/distributors appear just as concerned about piracy as positioning for most exposure. An errant camcorder is maybe on the minds of some execs? Plus, arguably, negative aftermath on a pricey project is not worth witnessing audience joy as the initial credits roll. The awesome factor would be through the roof, and your pals would be totally jelbo, but only CLOUD ATLAS is a possibility from this list.

Potential Guilty Pleasures

GAMBIT
PASSION
THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS

None of these are big enough to not have them be a surprise screening. I’d be very happy with any.

In My Dreams

ELYSIUM
WORLD WAR Z
STAR TREK 2
THE AVENGERS 2

Yeah right.



Let the movie watching begin!!!

LIFE OF PI

SKYFALL